融會通別 林鈺堂 簡繁轉換 - 繁體

菩提心廣包一切,見聞一一仍代禱;
有緣識知縱稀微,祝願等同無盡眾。

或問:「迴向時既已先普及一切眾生,是否即可省略為欲求濟渡者一一列名?」理論上雖無不可,但在修行上則宜融會通則與個案而加以列出。

若只偏於以抽象通則含蓋並取代個案,則易流於空泛。因此在首先迴向「一切眾生早日成佛」之後,仍宜為見聞所及之苦眾一一加入迴向。如此則智悲之長養充滿真實感,而易生根茁長。

反過來,吾人見聞所及終究十分有限,因此在為一一個案迴向時,當超越種種世間關係之考慮,而一概平等視為無盡苦眾之活生生代表。如此,雖然代禱之個案有限,而吾人菩提心之開展依然無涯,而得以漸漸契入真實無限之大心。


                     二○○四年十二月廿八日
                     養和齋     於加州


Unifying Generalization and Particulars Yutang Lin

Bodhicitta encompasses all sentient beings in limitless oneness.
Each and every being we run into is still prayed for individually.
Those with karmic links to encounter even though are very few.
Well-wishing to any is with the same attitude of praying for all.

Comment:

Some asked, "When we dedicate merits we always dedicate first to all sentient beings, could we then just save the trouble of dedicating individually to people we know of?" In theory, since they are all included already among all sentient beings, there is no reason why we could not omit this "repetition." Nevertheless, in actual practice it would be much better to unify generalization and particulars by listing them individually in addition.

If we leaned toward employing generalization to include and replace particulars, then the practice could deteriorate into hollow talks. Hence, after we had, first of all, dedicated merits toward the sooner attainment of enlightenment for all sentient beings, we had better include those suffering ones that we saw or heard about in the dedication by bring them to mind or mentioning them. Thus the cultivation of wisdom and compassion is fulfilled with a solid sense of reality, and hence it is easier for it to take root and grow up.

On the contrary, what we see or hear are ultimately very limited, and hence while we dedicate merits to each and every one of them we should transcend considerations of all sorts of worldly relationships but simply regard them equally as lively representatives of all suffering beings. Thus, even though actual individuals we have prayed for are rather limited in number, nevertheless, the expansion of our Bodhicitta remains boundless, and we could gradually merge into and attain the genuinely boundless great mind.


Written in Chinese and translated on December 28, 2004
El Cerrito, California


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